As Seen By
by Scottea
Summary: Kirk and McCoy see what one good act can do.
1. Chapter 1

"We regret to have to tell you, Captain Kirk, that it appears your two officers did not heed our advice and went to Plorer without official entry passes. As you know we have no authority in Plorer. We have managed to get a three hour official entry pass for you and one other on the grounds that you do not interfere with any matter and that you leave all communication devices and weapons at the central checkpoint. You will be aware that any interference would be in direct violation of your Prime Directive and that the Plorer society will have taken your two officers as belonging to them as a right by now. They entered with no official papers so Plorer has the right to claim them as their property."

Having known and worked with Captain James T Kirk for so many years Doctor Leonard McCoy could tell that the captain of the USS Enterprise, the finest ship and crew in the fleet, was only just keeping his emotions in check. This was the only hope they had of finding out what had happened to Spock and Uhura and Jim would not let it slip away and yet he would not break the Prime Directive.

"My Chief Medical Officer and I shall beam down,"

"Your passes are for three hours tomorrow morning Plorer time. You will be contacted and given the co-ordinates then. Remember, Kirk, they went there and are now a part of Plorer society. Their role in Plorer society will not be pleasant but they are a part of Plorer society now. It is not an overly hospitable society by our standards but it is their way. Your Federation understands that we have a symbiotic relationship as each has something the other needs and we respect each other's right to govern in our own ways, which are very different. You will not interfere, Kirk."

"Thank you for getting us the passes. We will be ready. Kirk out." from the way Kirk sat back in his chair McCoy knew the frustration level had reached a point it needed an outlet.

"May I have a few minutes of your time, Captain, to talk about why I have to go." the reaction was what the Enterprise's doctor knew it would be: the shocked look of him almost questioning a command decision on the bridge followed by an understanding nod.

They were quiet for a moment in the briefing room, Kirk pacing while McCoy sat and watched him. "Want to tell me what makes you think they would have gone to Plorer? I mean it is an independent country in this planet, its whole systems are different from those around it. While it has embraced most of the ways of the rest of the planet it still clings to the use of those who are different."

"They didn't go to Plorer, Bones, they were taken by force. You read the reports we have on how the people in Plorer find those different to them fascinating to watch and study. Out of the group that beamed down who would be seen as being different and therefore worth studying? They were taken. "

"Okay, let's suppose they were taken, you heard what the Director said, you know what our orders are: no interference."

"Dammit, Bones. I won't leave Spock and Uhura to be treated like what we read about. **I won't**!"

"Now you listen to me, Jim. For one thing we don't know how they are being treated and for another there is the Prime Directive to consider. They'd have a great case against not just us but Startfleet and the Federation for that matter as well if we tried to get them back as they could claim it would affect their society."

"I won't leave them." Kirk stopped pacing and looked at his friend and Chief Medical Officer, 'Why have you given up so easily?"

"You think I don't want to go down there and get those two back? You think I don't want to go down there and tell that, that excuse of a Director exactly what I think of his indifference?" McCoy put his hands on the table and leaned towards Kirk, holding his gaze. "To have taken them they would have fought and people would have noticed them fighting. What was seen was they both seemed to feel faint in the museum and were seen being helped out by what was believed to have been the museum's medical team but wasn't so that lets me know they were drugged. Just thinking of somebody drugging them like that makes me want to put a photon torpedo right up the Director's."

"Okay, Bones," Kirk tried to smile, "I guess I

'm just wound up by it all. There has to be a way to get them out."

"Nothing that doesn't involve breaking the Prime Directive."

The computer buzzer sounded and Kirk turned it on, "Sorry to interrupt, Sir, but we have been advised that four crew are remaining planet-side tonight with official permission. As far as I know none are in Plorer. I checked and three are in line for extended shore leave and one is well overdue for some down-time."

"Excuse me, Sulu. The one overdue for down-time wouldn't just happen to be Keith Lomms would it?"

"Yes, it's him."

"Great. Thanks."

Once the computer was off Kirk looked at McCoy, "You know this Lomms?"

"Most of the crew does, Jim. An exceptional search and rescue expert instructor who has done,"

Kirk nodded as he remembered the officer, "Eight successful rescues in the past four months that resulted in him spending considerable time in Sick Bay and," he could not keep the smile back, "I believe five of those rescues involved Spock and myself."

"That's him. If you take the time to read his papers he is not meant to be doing anything but instructing. No field work. Now I have tried and tried to stop him but he and that blasted Vulcan both use irrefutable logic against me when they want. It's good he has finally taken some down-time. I was getting to the point of seriously considering getting security to haul him in here and keeping him sedated till I felt he had slept enough. My money is on him, at the moment, being in some fancy hotel spread out on a over-sized bed, in a deep sleep, finally giving his body a chance to totally rest and recover." McCoy put a hand on Kirk's shoulder and gave it a squeeze, "Might be an idea if we also got a few hours sleep. We will need it for down there."

True to their word the Plorer contact gave them the co-ordinates and they beamed down to the central check-point, were searched for weapons and any form of communication device, handed a disc each, and told, "Should you encounter the two that were yours just remember that they are now **ours** and you will be breaking your oath to uphold the Prime Directive of non-interference should you in any way interfere with their new lives and their places in our society. Those who come to Plorer know our ways and accept them. **Nobody is forced to come to Plorer.** Our people are free to come and go. Enjoy your stay."

A Plorer woman selling guide maps near the transporter port looked at Kirk then at her assistant after he had purchased one with no comment, "The one who came the other day was more pleasing and much more pleasant. He is due out tomorrow so we will see him again."

When they were clear of the checkpoint Kirk looked at McCoy, "You don't think that the one they were talking about could be Lomms, do you?"

"Jim, Lomms would, I am sure, want to **just sleep** as he has been in need of some planet-side rest for a long time and his body needs sleep. He is friendly but there would be nothing else in it, if that is what you are hinting at. He is too much in love with life, has a passion about doing new things, to get into a pattern of leaving broken hearts behind him." McCoy gave him one of his knowing looks, "He knows he needs to sleep, to let his body properly heal. He also isn't the sort of man who would like Plorer's many attractions, not when there is something physically or mentally challenging somewhere else. The last time the crew had time on a planet to rest and relax he was in Sick Bay after one of your fool stunts as I recall."

"Yes, I just wanted to test the alterations Scotty had done to the shuttle and got the damned thing into that spin. Spock told me if Lomms had been wrong in his calculations on an illogical action we both would have died instead of Looms just having been knocked around so much in the pod. How long was he in?"

"Six weeks, two of which I kept him sedated so he wouldn't try moving. Damn fool wouldn't stay still. But he's not such a fool - he would know this time his body **needs sleep**, that he is in absolutely no condition to be of any use to anybody till he lets his body catch up with all the rest it needs. Told me he would be thinking of what he could pass on to the younger officers about that rescue: that he would figure out what went wrong. He may not even be aware that Spock and Uhura are missing. And if he did he would know that there is no way for any of us to help Spock and Uhura without breaking the Prime Directive, Now he may do some things I am inclined to think border on madness even **he would not risk that**. No, Jim. He'll be sleeping."

There were people running toward a building along from them and McCoy was finally able to stop one of the local, "What's all the excitement?"

"The stranger. Rall lost that exquisite black beauty to him yesterday and today he may lose the alien one. Nobody had bested Rall before in the statue fight, he won five of the seven hour long conflicts after Rall had really hurt him in the first one. Rall has never lost one of his amusement pieces like he did to the stranger yesterday. He is furious at the loss of the beauty and then the stranger made him state he would not abuse the weird one till after he tried to win him today. Today they play Skemor for him. Now, I must go or I'll be late and not get a good seat."

In the glance they shared Kirk knew McCoy was thinking the same thing - they had found Uhura and Spock and the stranger had to be Lomms.

"Now Jim, if you are thinking what I am thinking, it is way too big a jump in logic, even for you."

_Amusement pieces_. Even the thought of what that might mean fuelled the anger in Kirk. There had to be a way he could get his friends out without breaking the Prime Directive, but as they had been taken as part of the society then he could do nothing. He had taken a vow not to interfere. He lived by that principal. He closed his eyes as he tried to think of a way as he could not imagine leaving him, them, behind on this planet.

"You okay, Jim?" McCoy gripped his upper arm and Kirk saw the concern in the blue eyes and just gave a quick nod.

"There's got to be a way, Bones. There's got to be a way."

"No beaming out, no communication, no back-up, the Prime Directive, and the damned life they will have." McCoy gave the arm still in his hand a squeeze, "Perhaps we should just go back. I, I don't know about you but I do not think I could bare to see either of them as they possibly will be."

"I can't Bones, I can't go without seeing for myself. I need to know."

Quite a crowd had gathered by the time they got in and found a place to stand. A solidly built man in his late fifties sat at a table and Kirk realised it had to be Rall, he had the looks of a man in total charge of his domain and who adored the adulation of his followers. Four scantily clad exotic women were tending his needs, allowing him to fondle them in public. Looking around it was clear that anybody who was different was treated as a mere amusement.

There were gasps and the crowd parted enough for a man to walk toward the table followed by a woman wearing a long hooded robe that covered her head to ankle.

"She seems tamed." Rall reached out but the man pulled the woman back.

"She is mine and if you touch her I will sever your hand from your arm and then your arm from your body. Where is,"

"I wish to see how you tamed such a wild one."

The man pulled back the hood and only McCoy's grip on his arm stopped Kirk from lunging at the man. It was Uhura and Kirk could tell she had been badly beaten. Beaten into submission. "She now knows she is mine. I shall take her with me when I leave. I claimed her last night."

There was laughter, "I'll say he did. Repeatedly all night. I had the room through the wall and all I heard was her begging him not to and him taking what is his due as owner. The bed kept hitting the wall. Kept it up most all of the night."

"Now, where's the other one? He better not have been,"

"He is as I said he would be. I sedated him last night and this morning with Fallet, best thing for these Vulcan types. Totally numbs their mind and makes them docile, easy to control. He wouldn't be any trouble and if he is." the man placed a hypo on the table before him, "I am ready with another, larger and far more concentrated, dose for him. But," Rall clapped his hands and two men came out with Spock hanging limply between them, obviously unaware of where he was nor the fact that he was stripped naked apart from a flimsy loincloth, "see for yourself." Rall moved and stood beside Spock, "I did not mark him nor use him as we agreed. Here is the proof to that." McCoy's grip on his arm tightened as the man called Rall laughed as he removed the last bit of clothing from Spock. "As you can see, he is unmarked, and obviously able to give pleasure and be used for pleasure."

Slowly the man turned around and for the first time they saw his face. All Kirk saw was a face set in total concentration and reflecting total command and control but he heard McCoy's sharp deep breath and half-whispered, "Lomms."

The only times Jim Kirk could remember seeing the man who stood there so calmly with a hand on Uhura, were the brief thank you visits he had made to Sick Bay after being rescued. This was the first time he had ever really looked at the man. When he walked over to stand by Spock, Kirk saw he was on the tall side and proportionally muscular. James Kirk noticed how this officer moved in a very fluid way, saw how he seemed so confident and in total control, how he radiated an aura of unequivocal command while being totally nonthreatening. As though he did it every day, Lomms took off his jacket and wrapped the sleeves around Spock's waist, tying them behind him, giving the Vulcan some privacy, then turned and looked at Rall, "**Nobody** sees or uses that which will be mine. **Nobody**."

It was all Kirk could do to stay still as Rall laughed, "Yesterday you were lucky to win the black beauty but this one you will not win. This one," Rall reached out and put a hand under Spock's chin and raised his head, "This one shall give me pleasures you can only fantasise about for the rest of its long life."

A silence seemed to fill and still the entire room as Lomms quickly grabbed Rall's wrist and pulled his hand away, "**I said nobody**."

"He is still mine and I shall," Rall struggled to free his wrist but Lomms held it tightly and seemingly effortlessly bent the fingers back further.

"I now see what I am facing. A thing that can't be trusted. A low life whose word means nothing." briefly Lomms looked around as though searching for something or someone, then back at Rall, "What happened to him?"


	2. Chapter 2

"Who?"

"The real man. The man I bested yesterday. Now he was somebody to respect for his honesty and his skill. You are nothing but a very poor imitation of that man but I will win this one as well and then be gone with them."

Rall stopped struggling and glared at Lomms, "You will not win him but, if you did, why would you take them off-planet? Do you know what sort of a life they could provide for you here if you used them wisely?"

"Yes, that is why I will take them off-planet. There is much more for them out there than here. I will have a better life out there with them."

Rall's laugh made something inside Kirk squirm, "I have heard some have left Plorer, used their ones wisely, and now have very comfortable lives."

"Enough talk." Looms released Rall's hand and turned to table but paused, "I came to win him today."

Like an excited child Rall quickly returned to the table, "I am looking forward to this. I rarely have had such a worthy opponent."

"He is to sit on the floor and she will sit with him, holding him. I want to see the pair I will win."

"Agreed," Rall turned to the men still supporting Spock, "Lower him to the floor over there." All Lomms did was lightly touch Uhura's arm and she went to sit by Spock and put an arm around him to stop him from toppling onto the floor. Again Rall's laugh sickened Kirk, "They do make an interesting pairing. You are very much like me, you see possibilities where others see nothing."

As Lomms turned their eyes met and Captain James T Kirk saw there was instant recognition in the man's eyes as well as a fixed determination. There was no outward sign and Kirk wondered if Lomms knew how much he wanted to kill him for what he obviously had done to and with Uhura, if he realized his Captain was already thinking of court-martialing him for being a part of this.

"Yesterday's test was a physical one and I will admit you bested me in the best competition I have had in a considerably long time, but you can ask all here when I was bested at today's test. No one has ever bested me in Skemor, no one, and I have been playing it for two decades. As you are an off-worlder I will explain the rules to you."

"No need," Lomms had sat down and was rubbing his upper thighs in long strokes, looking eager to get on with whatever Rall was up to. "I know the game."

For a moment there was a flicker of uncertainty about Rall's eyes as he looked at Lomms. It was clear he had expected to have to tell him how to play the game and to hear his opponent knew the game clearly unsettled him. Kirk briefly looked at McCoy who just shook his head. Skemor was a highly complex card game used in many worlds as a form of gambling, it took a great deal of concentration, skill, and patience.

Years before Kirk had seen the game being played once, had watched Spock play it and remembered how his Vulcan friend had said, "It is a most fascinating game of how to out-manipulate and out-manoeuver your opponent. It calls for a great deal of mental dexterity and agility and even more tactical thinking than I have seen in most humans. To become remotely proficient at it would take considerable time and to master it would take years and a highly intelligent yet, unfortunately, also a somewhat devious mind. A real master can make the game last all day against an equal partner. I have a certain amount of difficulty in being able to quickly formulate the many circuitous plays that can be employed in the game."

Kirk lost track of time. It was clear that the two men were a good match as the screen showed that they were level after each had a turn. Uhura was trying to still Spock as his mind struggled to fight off the effects of the drug.

"I better give him this as he is distracting us."

"No!" Kirk said in unison with Lomms.

Ignoring Kirk Lomms went over to where Uhura was and Kirk saw how she cowered from him in terror as he raised his hand and hit her, "You should have learned last night that I will be obeyed. You are to keep him quite. I want to watch you two together tonight so keep him quiet! Do not make me remind you again!"

Then, certain that Uhura was holding Spock more tightly, Lomms walked over to Kirk, gripped his shoulders and held him so their faces were close, "I know full well how to handle my possessions! I do not need nor want you to say or do anything. You're not part of the game. Understood?"

"Yes." the control Kirk saw in the man made him keep his voice low.

"Good," Lomms released him, "Now, if you are very, very good I may let you enjoy their company, later," Kirk for a moment thought he saw something about his eyes as though Lomms were trying to tell him something, "later, away from here." Rall and the others laughed as Lomms settled back to the game.

Vaguely Kirk was aware of the Plorer official coming over to them as he saw how Spock was now struggling to get free from Uhura.

"That's it! He has," Rall picked up the hypospray but Lomms put his arm out and the full cylinder was pumped into him.

"Oh my God," something in McCoy's voice made Kirk look at him only to see he had his eyes closed and was shaking his head.

"I said no! I will deal with him as he will be mine soon." Looms got up, walked over to where Spock sat, slapped him hard four times then took Spock's head in his hands with his fingers spread, "Soon he will be mine and I don't want him anything but ready to know that." he laughed and looked at Rall, "I want him to know what it is like to be mine." roughly he pushed Uhura against him, "I will deal with you later! Keep him still!"

The Plorer official spoke, "Your three hours are up. I am to escort you to the central checkpoint now."

"But,"

"What is going on here is of no concern to you or any other off-worlders."

"That man with Rall is,"

"A games-man who entered Plorer with official documents allowing him to take whatever he wins here with him. Will you come with me or do I need to ask for assistance?"

With one last look at how Spock now quietly rested in Uhura's arms and seeing how Uhura almost fearfully kept looking at Lomms, Kirk let McCoy lead him through the crowd after the official.

Mr Scott was waiting for them when they beamed up, "Did ya nae find them?"

"We found them."

"Then,"

"They, they have to stay, Scotty." there was a defeated timbre to McCoy's voice  
that worried Kirk. "They have to stay."

"But we have,"

Now it was Kirk's time to take hold of his friend's arm and lead him out, but not before turning to look at his Chief Engineer, "What we have is the Prime Directive, Mr Scott. We have the Prime Directive." hating himself but knowing it was procedure, "Mr Scott, take, take us out of orbit, impulse power. I'll give you, give you the new heading once I've taken care of Doctor McCoy."

Just for a moment the two men looked at each other then the Enterprise's Chief Engineer said, "I'll be along shortly with what you'll both be needing."

Slowly, seeing now just how shaken McCoy was, Jim Kirk walked his friend to his own quarters, and found Mr Scott waiting outside his door with a bottle, "Aye, the two of you'll be needing this for sure. I'll come back shortly."

Only once he had helped McCoy to sit on the bed did he go and open the bottle Scotty had given him and poured them each a drink, "What is it, Bones?"

"The Fallet will kill him. A tenth of the dose needed to subdue a Vulcanoid or Romulan will kill a human. Slowly, systemically, in an extremely painful manner, it will kill him. He, he won't get them out, Jim. He won't get them out."

As the reality of what McCoy said was accepted by his mind Kirk sat beside his friend, "Did, did you see what he did to Uhura? I never thought one of my crew would ever do something like that to another member."

"Makeup."

"What? You saw how she cowered from him. He,"

Now McCoy turned and looked at him, "Jim, there is no way Lomms would strike her or do anything to her like he has made them and, obviously, you think. Trust this old country doctor's eyes, they were not real injuries. It was a very artistic work, it had Rall and you and obviously the others believe she had been beaten but it was makeup. Uhura knew how to perfectly feint the hit we saw, she knew how to act and react with him perfectly. For a time there I felt we had a chance of getting them back, felt Lomms was going to get them back, he was so in control but when that blasted Fallet enters his system." McCoy shook his head, "The Fallet will erode all of his systems and kill him. Slowly and painfully kill him."

"From what Rall said I thought it worked on the brain."

There was a buzz at the door and Kirk knew it would be Mr Scott so said to enter, "I said I would be back and I brought a better brew." The Engineer poured them both a glass and Kirk had to admit it was smoother.

"In Romulans and Vulcanoids, yes. In humans it attacks all the systems, it just starts with the nervous system, then seems to pause while it attacks the other systems before it completes its damage to the brain, causing death."

Kirk saw how calm McCoy was trying to remain and put a hand on his arm, "He might,"

McCoy smiled at him, "Only two humans have ever survived much, much smaller doses of Fallet, Jim, and both of them are little more than shells. They were kept alive to study the effects of Fallet for two months. Everything had to be taken care of for them. They were medical scientists and had left instructions that they were to be kept alive and used to study Fallet in humans. In the end they were little more than living things being kept alive by machines and intravenous feeding. Oh, their hearts still beat and they breathed on their own, but that is all. The detailed note they left about their experiment on themselves indicated they were only going to use a very small amount. When they were found the findings agreed that only a small amount had been used.

"You saw how much was in that syringe. The small doses of Fallet destroyed their ability to think within twenty minutes and within a standard hour they were on full life support. At least he tried to get them out."

"Here," Scotty handed both a shot glass, "This will help with the talking."

"But there has to be a treatment, Bones."

"Barbaric and used within the first six to twelve standard hours four who had very minimal doses of Fallet survived with severe brain damage for thirty-seven hours." McCoy looked at Kirk, "If the treatment doesn't kill them the Fallet does. One patient lasted for four days after the injection. Had the full treatment five times. An initial total internal body flushing with a hot oil, then a hot tea flush, then a hot saline solution flush, and finally another hot oil one. Whole body evacuates, patient is usually awake or at least aware of what is happening. It is repeated every four standard hours for thirty-six hours. The patient went through all that hell and he still died."

About that time the sedative that the Chief Engineer had disguised in the liquor hit them both and they sprawled backwards as they fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

**A/N What happens when I have to stay awake for 48 hours and record what the medics want to know - I write: write that they want , write letters/snail mail to friends overseas, write reviews here, rewrite my Trek stories, and write. Enjoy.**


	3. Chapter 3

From somewhere way in the distance Kirk thought he heard a voice. Then there was a hand gripping his shoulder. "Captain, **Captain!**", it was Nurse Chapel shaking him. "We have been receiving a message we can't fully understand from a small craft that had been following us for some time."

"Following?

"Yes, you told Mr Scott to break orbit at warp one and we have been cruising at that speed for the past ten hours."

"Ten hours." quickly Kirk sat up and immediately regretted it as the room spun.

"Here," a hypospray hissed at his arm, "That will take care of the dizziness. I warned Mr Scott not to put too much in the drinks but he obviously realized that the two of you needed to sleep."

"McCoy?"

"He's having a shower and said he would meet you on the bridge."

Entering the bridge he tried not to look at either the Communications or the Science Stations as he walked to the command chair. It was too soon to accept that. His mind kept telling him it was too soon. Ten hours. Momentarily he closed his eyes and told himself he would somehow survive, he would continue to live but without. No, it was too soon to think of that. A hand on his shoulder, "Jim?"

"I, I'm okay." he opened his eyes and saw in the blue ones that looked back at him the certainty that McCoy knew the truth. "Let's hear the message."

"Sir, I'm not even sure if it's meant for us but the craft it is coming from has been following us for the last three point two hours. The craft has failed or is refusing to acknowledge our hails and has not identified itself. It's from Plorer, a small, short-range shuttle. Keeps repeating the same message. It either can't or won't respond to our hailing and is nearing the limit of its range to return safely to Plorer. It clearly is not a distress signal. I do not think they are lost nor in distress," the strange voice came from the Communications Station. "It sounds more like the pilot is going to a neighbouring planet and is totally unaware he is transmitting the same message. It is as though he has a fault in his transmission system that is repeating some earlier message. He does not acknowledge our attempts at communicating."

Trying to curb his frustration Kirk just said, "I said let's hear it."

"Audio now, Sir."

"How long can a triangle chase a circle before the circle circles back?  
How long does the play go on, as I know my part will soon end.  
How will I explain to him I struck him just to keep my role on the track?  
None of it matters now as I have her with me and his closest friend."

The hand on his shoulder tightened,"It's him! It's him! My God, Jim, **it's Lomms! He did it!** He got them away!"

"Bones, you said it yourself, that," Kirk turned to look at McCoy as he sounded so convinced even though there was no possibility but stopped when he saw the look on McCoy's face, certainty and relief and a bit of resignation..

"Dammit, Jim! **Listen to the voice**. You heard him down there. Listen to the voice. Listen to the message. Even down there he must have been trying to give us messages. Triangle is three sided, that's the three of them. The circle is us because of the disc, he is in pain and apologising for hitting you, and they are both with him. It is Looms and **he has them**."

It's too soon, Kirk's mind echoed. Too soon.

"Let's hear it again." he closed his eyes and this time listened to the voice and the words.

"How long can a triangle chase a circle before the circle circles back?  
How long does the play go on, as I know my part will soon end.  
How will I explain to him I struck him just to keep my role on the track?  
None of it matters now as I have her and his closest friend."

Without opening his eyes he placed a hand on McCoy's and squeezed it. It was that voice. It was an apology for striking him. In his mind Kirk heard the words he had said while holding him and being in the role, how he would enjoy their company _later away_ from there. He mentioned_ her_ with him and _his closest friend_. Damn, he had all but said he would get them out and back to him there and then. There was still a chance. "Scan that craft for life signs."

"Two strong life signs. Reading one human and one," there was puzzlement in the voice, "Vulcan."

Two. Uhura and Spock. "Scan," he slowly took a deep breath as he realized what it meant, "Scan it again." Unconsciously Kirk tightened his grip on McCoy's hand. Only two life signs. Despite himself Kirk mentally repeated "know my part will soon end". Kirk had no doubt they were picking up Spock and Uhura, "her and his closest friend", yet the voice, the voice was Lomms'. The voice was, he took another deep breath, it was the voiceit was. Reason took over in his mind and he knew it was a recording.

"Sir, our scan revealed that there were only,"

"I said to **scan it again**."

"Sir, I scanned it twice before confirming the two life forms."

Kirk looked briefly at McCoy and saw his own feelings of fear and relief reflected in the doctor's face. Fear for not only if it was not them but also that Lomms would be dead before they could help him, before he could thank him. Relief in the certainty that Uhura and Spock were alive.

"I want it scanned again using the highest gain possible without risking the two forms confirmed. Is that understood?" The hand on his shoulder tightened slightly.

"Yes, Sir. Scanning now."

"I want Sickbay notified to be ready for critical emergency treatment." Kirk heard McCoy tell the officer on communications.

"What the? Let me. There, there is a third sign, Sir, but it is extremely faint. Hardly registering at all. It is difficult to get an exact fix on it. It's gone, no, no its back. Fluctuating but waning. It, it appears to be Human." There was a firm grip on his shoulder then a light patting.

"Are we within transporter range?"

"No, Sir."

"Bring her about and let's get those people aboard."

"Sir? We have no idea who or what we are dealing with," the young officer at the Science Station seemed stunned.

"I gave an order. What part of it wasn't clear?"

"It was clear, Sir, I am just following procedure as who or what is on that craft is unknown. They refuse to answer our hailing or acknowledge us in any way."

"The Captain has an idea who is aboard that ship," Sulu spoke, "and so do we." Sulu half-turned, "With your permission, Sir, if we increase warp to,"

"Do it, and Sulu, you have to con."

They started for the turbolift and McCoy turned, "This is McCoy. Have Medical get a full life support unit to the Transporter Room. And bring the Fallet bag and appropriate bed for immediate treatment." as they stepped into the turbolift their eyes met and Kirk saw the concern mixed with wonder and determination in them, "If he's still alive I'm going to do my damnedest to see he at least gets a fighting chance to pull through. That dose of Fallet should have killed him hours ago. I've never dealt with it before as it was banned by the Federation fifty years ago."

"Within beaming range now, Sir."

"Beam them out of there, now." despite himself Kirk could feel a knot tighten in his stomach as he looked at the medical cart as it was wheeled in.

It took all of his control not to rush up to his Vulcan friend as the transporter stopped but, after a moment's eye contact and a quick nod of understanding the First Officer turned, with the Communications Officer, to tend to the shaking form behind them.

"How long's he been,"

"I don't know exactly," Uhura was close to breaking, Kirk could see it, just as he saw there were no marks on her face, only streaks of makeup.

"He got us to the craft six point one hours ago, got us locked onto the trail of the Enterprise, recorded and set on continual broadcast a message, then seemed to have four mild convulsions before losing consciousness. He has been in his present state five point two hours." Kirk could tell Spock was in his Vulcan mode, "It has been eleven point eight five hours since he had the injection."

"Damn!" McCoy all but tossed aside the scanner, "I won't lose him, not to that, not now. There's an old treatment,"

"Doctor, you can't mean," Nurse Chapel was shocked and shook her head, "I can't and won't be a part of anything so barbaric. **It is torture not treatment**."


	4. Chapter 4

"Fine. Just find me someone who,"

"Doctor," Spock's calm voice silenced them, "I will assist."

"Thanks, Spock but it involves,"

"I am well aware of what the treatment involves and we are wasting time discussing it."

"I'll hold him, Doctor." Uhura moved closer as she spoke, "I'll hold him for Spock if that's what you're worried about but we must do something now."

Their movements were as though they had done the procedure together for years, each knowing what the other was doing or about to do. Kirk stood stunned where he was as it seemed they were flushing out the officer's blood as well as his digestive system and his lungs while he weakly fought them. 'Complete body flush' McCoy had called it. It amazed Kirk that, despite being clearly close to death, his officer was still able to fight back against the pain, still fight to hold onto life. The floor was awash with body fluids and the captain of the Enterprise was proud of how nobody mentioned it, nor the pungent putrid smell.

"Okay, that's it, for now. He may need up to six more of those. I may need you two to help again,"

"Just let me know when, Doctor McCoy." Uhura brushed the dark brown hair off his forehead, "I will be there as I will have people ready to cover my station."

For a moment Spock looked at Lomms then at Kirk before looking at McCoy, "As long as he needs assistance I will be there, Doctor."

"Thank you both for that. He needs another one in four hours. For now it is over to him." McCoy indicated that they could place the still body on a gurney and, for a moment, blue eyes met hazel ones and held the gaze "He's still fighting it but he has a very long and extremely hard fight ahead of him, it is in all of his systems. He has that again in four standard hours and every four hours after that till tests verify it is no longer in him. How he has managed to hold on mentally and physically this long is beyond me."

Gently Uhura reached out and touched the side of Lomms' face and smiled a smile had touched her eyes, "A promise is a promise and must never be broken; your word is given as soon as it's spoken. That's what he lives by and he promised me he would get both of us out and back to the Enterprise. When he won me from Rall and took me to the hotel, he just sat holding me as I cried, he just held me and said he would get us both home. He promised he would not leave without both of us."

The two medical staff took the gurney and McCoy turned to Spock and Uhura, "I want to see both of you in Sick Bay, now."

Anxiously Kirk paced outside the examination room as McCoy had told him to stay out. Both Spock and Uhura looked fine but Kirk knew that McCoy would be giving them a thorough going-over.

"Okay, Jim, you can come in and visit. I'm keeping both of them in for twenty-four hours to ensure they sleep."

The smile in Spock's eyes when he entered made Kirk pause, the thought of how close he had come to never seeing that again chilled him, "We have tried to tell the good doctor we were both able to sleep on the planet and in the craft once Lomms got us away from Rall. It is Lomms who is in more need of the doctor's attention." Spock was on one bed and Uhura another with Lomms occupying the intensive care unit. "He informs us he wants to keep us under observation for twenty-four standard hours and states he is fully capable of both monitoring Lomms and watching us. Could you please explain to him, Captain, how,"

Kirk held up his hand, "No, not this time, Spock. Rall pumped some powerful stuff into you and your body needs a chance to fully recover from that. Uhura needs sleep as,"

"**As what**?" there was no escaping the challenge in the question as Uhura sat up and looked at the three men in turn, "It will be in my report but all Lomms did was win me from Rall and make it appear that something was happening that wasn't. He was nothing but a true friend and gentleman.

"Mr Spock knows how they first drugged us and knows how they kept us drugged while they openly talked about what they were going to do with us, while they sold us to Rall. Rall was furious when Lomms first put a robe around me then won me, it angered him when Lomms bested him in five out of seven no-hold barred fights, but he laughed as Lomms picked me up and said he would gladly teach him how a woman should be treated. Lomms carried me to the hotel, put me on the bed, filled the bath with hot water and the herbal essences they had there, helped me into the bathroom then let me soak and wash off the grime. I never thought I would scrub it off." she looked over at the figure still ensnared in tubes and wires, "After I had the bath he apologised that all he had for me was the robe and that it was as long as it was. He also apologised that he did not know what I would want to eat so he had just ordered a fruit bowl. I was fine till he steadied me when I tripped over an ornamental floor rug. Suddenly I was clinging to his arm and crying. I was crying so much I was shaking. I was scared, worried about what Rall was doing with Mister Spock, and yet I felt safe as he held me as this was Lomms. It was Lomms. He would know what to do. He let me cry it out. He had made Rall promise before witnesses that **Spock would not be exploited nor harmed** in any way. He just sat on the bed holding me and let me cry it all out.

"When I had calmed down he just held me for a few minutes then looked at me, really looked into me, and promised he would get both Spock and myself away, that he would not leave without both of us. He then laid me back on the bed and told me to sleep, said there would be a bit of noise but to sleep. I vaguely remember him banging a desk against the wall then he woke me in the middle of the night and told me what to say back to him in a loud voice as he slammed the bed against the wall a few times."

Kirk nodded with chagrin as he realized how he had believed, as others, that Lomms had taken advantage of her, "To those listening it would sound like,"

She smiled and nodded, "Exactly. He paused, mouthed the word scream and I screamed and went quiet as he slapped his upper thigh with a thick strap, he indicated a count of five and we did it again, then a count of fifteen. He had me go back to sleep.

"When I woke he was sitting by the window looking at the dawn, walked over to me with a pot of what looked like paint and put some on my face. I had no idea what he was doing till I looked in the mirror. It looked as though he had battered me. He again promised to get us both back to the Enterprise and asked me to just to trust him and do whatever he said. I could tell from how the others reacted that they thought he had, had abused me."

"I'll say: the Captain was all set to rip Lomms apart when he saw you."

Two of the alarms on the unit over Lomms started and before McCoy could get to him both Spock and Uhura were beside the bed as a third alarm went off. Spock, having pulled a tube from Lomms' mouth, was holding it open as Uhura rolled Lomms onto his side. A third alarm flashed.

"**Dammit! Dammit to hell! Damned Fallet!** His system's reacting to the oral antitox. Still over three hours till he should be flushed out again but I'm going to have to flush him out again now. Don't know if his systems can cope with it again this soon but **I have to try** it. Spock, Uhura, I'll need you to,"

Even before McCoy had finished Uhura was systematically changing the intravenous drips while Spock had the head of the bed lowered. The three were totally synchronized, they seemed to know when it was their turn to work on Lomms and when they had to wait for the others to do their part. Periodically Lomms' body would spasm and the three were lucky not to be covered in the bloody and frothy fluid he was vomiting or in the brown fluid as his digestive and urinary systems emptied. They worked in silence for several minutes then stepped back, McCoy made one or two adjustments to rate of transfusion, then turned and looked at him, nodding slowly.

"He's still fighting, Jim. Damned if I know how or what he is holding on with or for."

"Will he?"

"Each hour he gets through gives him a better chance. For now he is stabilized and we will have to take it step by step. If he does survive this you have to know that there is no guarantee he will," McCoy looked at Kirk and shook his head slowly, "I do not know how much was pumped into him but it was more than 10ccs and I told you before about the only humans who survived just 10ccs of Fallet."

"Doctor," Uhura's concern was clear and Kirk saw his Chief Medical Officer lick his bottom lip before he turned to face her, "I do not understand what you are talking about."

Before McCoy could speak Spock put a hand gently on Uhura's arm, "What Doctor McCoy is alluding to is the fact that the few humans who were ever reportedly injected with this drug died. The drug destroyed their internal organs and they were also mindless by the time death occurred."

"Mindless?" Uhura's bottom lip quivered, "Ex," as Kirk watched he saw his Communications Officer pull herself together and look steadily at Spock, "exactly how mindless?"

"Their brain activity was only enough to keep their hearts beating and them breathing."

Kirk saw how Spock tightened his grip for a moment on Uhura's arm as she closed her eyes, swayed for a moment, and shook her head, "No, no. **No!**"

Tenderly the Vulcan put his free hand under Uhura's chin and tilted her head up so, when she opened her eyes, she looked at him, "At this stage we cannot be sure what it has done to him. We do know that other humans who have been injected with less have died within a much shorter period than he has survived. We also know that those humans had a much lesser dose than he had both in volume and potency. We must now wait till he awakens and is clear of Doctor McCoy's medications before we will know exactly what the Fallet has done to him."

"But if he,"

"Do you not agree it is best we wait till he regains full consciousness before we waste time considering circumstances that might not happen?"

"Yes, but if he," she took a deep breath, "What do I do if he," Uhura looked at Spock as he still held her chin, "**He made me leave him and go to you**. When we got to the shuttle and he collapsed right when you started to choke, he made me go to you. When I got back he was unconscious. He has to know I went back to him. He's one of my closest friends. **He has to know I went back to him**. Oh, Spock, I did not want to leave him but he said you needed my help more. **He has to know**."

It was one of the rarest things and Kirk and McCoy exchanged glances as the Vulcan pulled the now quietly sobbing Communications Officer to him and rubbed her back, "You have to know he knew you did not leave him. You have to know he knew you would help me and go back to him. **He would know you did not leave him.**"

Gradually Uhura seemed to pull herself together and took a step back. "I. I'm,"

"I believe you were about to change into some civilian attire and sit with him. **If I may be so bold** as to mention I heard you tell him in the shuttle something about a new outfit he had not seen you wearing."

That statement clearly startled Uhura as she looked at Spock and both Kirk and McCoy could see the change in her. "Yes, yes he would like to see me in that. Thank you,"

"No thanks are necessary. Just go put on that new outfit and be with him. By you doing that and me remaining in Sickbay we will be helping him and keeping Doctor McCoy from having to rant about us both not **following medical orders** as we will be in Sickbay where he can observe us for **twenty-four standard hours**.." Kirk did not miss the quick nod McCoy gave Spock when the Vulcan glanced at him.

Once Uhura had left and McCoy gone into his office Kirk looked at his Vulcan First Officer and friend as there was something in how his friend had just acted and reacted that made Kirk look for a moment in silence at Spock and then said, "Want to tell me what that it **was really about**?"


	5. Chapter 5

"Not here." they walked to a briefing room, and Spock turned and looked at his oh so human friend and Captain,"I find I can fully understand Nurse Chapel's behavior her refusal to be a part of what she saw as torture. I can understand her wanting to help but not in that way. Who she is was in conflict with what she is, a torment I experienced very early in life with my hybrid background. Right now I am at a complete loss as to how to best help him, Jim. Lieutenant Uhura is more skilled at such matters. There are still several events I have to come to terms with that transpired on the planet as well as in the shuttle craft, things he did to help us before," Spock looked away as he clearly remembered the drug's effects.

"Before the Fallet effected him?" seeing, in those dark eyes, the shadow of pain the memory caused, Kirk moved to stand next to his friend and put a hand on Spock's arm, "It was his decision, Spock. All the way along, it was his decision. There was nothing you could have done nor do."

"I recall us being captured, of repeatedly being given drugs, remember Rall allowing the Fallet to lessen its effects on me so that I was momentarily aware of my condition and state, then would laugh as he slowly gave me another injection and watched it take affect. There are random events but nothing clear till Lomms entered my mind and promised to get both myself and Uhura back safely to you, to the ship. Somehow he knew to slap me as hard as he did. From then it is all very clear. I could think but was too physically weak to," Kirk reassuringly squeezed the arm he held and saw Spock nod although he had his eyes closed.

For a few deep breaths Spock just stood with his eyes closed then he opened his eyes and looked at Kirk, letting him see the traces of the emotions that Vulcan control had enabled him to reclaim, "When we were going to the hotel, after he won me, four of Rall's men attempted to take me from him and he defeated them but took a savage beating for it." Kirk was aware of the two dark eyes looking into him, almost asking for forgiveness and understanding, "I couldn't help him, Jim. I could not walk unaided. He had Uhura help me. The four of them systematically beat him but he would not let them near me, us. When they realized that they would have to kill him to get to us and that those watching knew they were Rall's men, they left him alone where he had fallen, where they had, had repeatedly savagely kicked him as he still fought to protect us. When he finally stood he was bleeding from his nose, mouth, and he was having difficulty breathing. He helped us leave just before planet dawn, got us into the craft, got us on the trail of the Enterprise, made the recording, set it on wide broadcast."

Spock was silent for a moment as he looked at the floor for a moment then back at his friend and Captain, "He collapsed and Uhura went to make him comfortable. As you saw it was an older shuttle, it had not been used for some time and there was some residual dust that made me start to choke. I was having extreme difficulty breathing, and I heard him tell her to go take care of me and her say she would not leave him. He said I was more important to you as a friend and officer and to the ship and she had to help me to save the two of us and the ship as well. He told her you needed me, the ship needed us, and I needed her help more than he did. She again said she would not leave him and he said she had to help me first. She told him she would be back but by the time she had helped me and got back he had slipped into unconsciousness. His body finally yielded to the effects of Fallet."

"Yielded to the effects of Fallet?"

Spock looked away, "Fallet is a most unusual drug, Jim. It affected my human side differently to my Vulcan side. Fortunately my Vulcan side was able to assist my Human side in finally resisting it and overcoming its effects. He had nothing to resist it with but, but tremendously tenacious will-power. All that night, after winning me and getting us to the hotel, when he thought we were both asleep and he had his back against the door to prevent anybody coming it, he hugged his knees to his chest, rocked back and forth, and kept muttering 'Just a bit longer. Gotta hold on just a bit longer.'"

As Kirk looked at his friend he saw amazement yet also shame. "The only lingering side-effect of the Fallet that impaired me was weakness, a great weakness. I could not help him. I could barely walk unaided. He had to almost carry me to the craft just as he had started to carry me to the hotel. He got us in the craft, got it on the trail of the Enterprise, made and set, on continual transmission, that recorded message, looked at me and said, 'I promised you and her I'd get you home. They'll know and come back for you two. I'm so damn tired. Can't fight any more.', then went into convulsions and fell to the floor. After sending her to help me he never regained full consciousness."

"Spock, even McCoy is unsure of how to treat,"

"Jim, there was a moment, when Uhura was sleeping, when I," Spock looked away and seemed to pull himself together, "I reached out and felt the agony in his mind and body. I, I hesitated for a moment longer feeling a great indecision in myself. I could so easily have helped him die an easier death yet I didn't. It would not have taken long and Uhura would not have noticed. I have let him continue to suffer the effects of Fallet. Had he been an animal I would have put him out of his agony, Fallet might render him mentally less than an animal and I know that I, and I alone, am responsible for his on-going torment. Moments ago, while assisting Doctor McCoy flush his systems a second time, I found I regretted that I did not do it, end it, for him." The Vulcan turned and looked at him, "Jim, it would have been the humane and human thing to do."

"No," Kirk said it softly as he knew how deeply his First Officer felt things despite denying he had emotions. Firmly he gripped his Vulcan friend's upper arms, "No! Do not even think that, Spock. You must know that you did the right thing."

"Did I, Jim? If he dies,"

"I believe you were right when you told Uhura it is best you wait till he fully regains consciousness before you,"

"Jim, Uhura was unaware of what the Fallet will have done to him. I, we did not tell her the full truth of what it could have done to him."

"That's the word, Spock. Could. It may not have." Kirk looked at his friend and First Officer and could see there was something else, something his friend was reluctant to talk about, there was something else. "What, Spock? There's something else, isn't there?"


	6. Chapter 6

Dark eyes looked into him and James Kirk felt a moment of fear about what his friend would say, "It is just how he said about saving the two of us, how I meant more to the ship and to you." "Spock?"

"It was something I had not believed I would ever find in her and yet it is so very logical and understandable. I felt a deep conviction in her that had he not told her he knew of what you and I mean to each other she would not have left him. It seems oddly reassuring yet also oddly curious that I can fully understand her relationship with him, that I know just how torn she felt between her feelings for him and her duty. I, I am not sure how she will feel towards me, or us, should he die."

"You both had a rough time down there and he,"

"He was meant to be taking medical leave. He was meant to be resting. He is not meant to be active in field work. He was restricted to **only to instruct and demonstrate in simulations**. His records clearly state that. I do not like to think of what my life would have been had he not done what he did yet I find it difficult to understand his actions, especially taking that injection meant for me as I cannot remember ever having any interactions with him on the ship. He would not have known what the drug would do to him yet he would have known what it did to Vulcans and that a Human is weaker than Vulcans, he would have known that and then he stopped those four men and took that beating to protect me, us. He would have known and yet he,"

"Did not hesitate to block Rall's intentions. He promised Uhura he would get you both out. He promised his friend he would get you both back home. He did what he had to do, Spock. He reacted as soon as Rall picked up the hypo. Whether he was in that character he was being or if he knew what he was doing, I do not know. I do know he was protecting the two of you."

Spock kept looking at Kirk for a long time then nodded, "He knew what he was doing. That I am certain of, Jim. I have seen how the man has always functioned aboard the Enterprise, I have watched how he has instructed the younger officers, I have seen him being different characters, and at all times he has been in control, has known exactly what he was doing. To think of him doing what he did, of him knowing what that drug would to do to him, and to know that he knew he had gone against direct orders," for a moment Spock closed his eyes and let out a slow breath.

The Vulcan had been silent and still for too when Kirk moved, "Spock?" his friend turned and looked at him and the self-blame and pain in the dark eyes made him reach out and momentarily touch Spock's shoulder, "All I do know for sure is he was there for you when you and Uhura needed him and you two will be here when he needs you as will I and McCoy and you know what this crew is like."

"I, I would suggest you change Uhura's roster so she has more time to be with him.,"

"Already done." Kirk grinned, "Both of you are on light duty for the next fifteen days. In other words only when McCoy clears you for work will you work but when you need time off you will have it. When you are on the bridge I will be watching you and if I see you need a break you will take one. The same will apply to Uhura."

It had taken thirty-eight more standard days before McCoy declared Lomms fit enough to do very limited duties. During that time the doctor believed just about every crew member on the ship had visited him at lest a dozen times with Spock and Uhura his most regular visitors. Every officer but Nurse Chapel and then only because he had not allowed her near Lomms. He had been in with Lomms and Spock when Nurse Chapel had tried to apologize to Spock for her reaction when McCoy had first treated Lomms. Never before had McCoy seen and heard Spock be so Vulcan towards her. "


	7. Chapter 7

"Mister Spock, I want to apologize for reaction to what Doctor McCoy did when you and Officers Lomms and Uhura returned to the ship. I know you might have thought that I being childish but,"

"What I thought, Nurse Chapel, was that you displayed the behavior I would expect from **a trainee nurse** at any one of the many Starbases where they take trainees for their first year of exposure to more interesting and varied cases than those they encounter at the planet based training hospitals. What you did was inexcusable for a nurse of **your experience and caliber**. I find it also incomprehensible that you would think that Doctor McCoy would **ever torture a patient**. The treatment did cause the patient discomfort but it was necessary." Spock had looked from her to Lomms who was, the Vulcan could tell from the monitors as well as his breathing, in a deep sleep. "The decision to use an old method of treatment was that of your senior officer and **you failed not only your profession but, more importantly, Doctor McCoy and your patient**. Had Lieutenant Uhura and I not been there to immediately assist Doctor McCoy with his treatment it is highly likely that Officer Lomms would have died. I would suggest that you go and search deep within yourself and ask if you would have such a reaction if an even more difficult and antiquated form of treatment that would cause the patient even more discomfort than that did Lomms. If you would react like that again perhaps you should consider a position on a Starbase and not a starship. Now, if you will excuse me I must report to the Captain."

After Spock had left McCoy looked at Nurse Chapel, "You alright, Christine?"

"He, he was right. I was totally unprofessional. I did not think of you nor of the patient only my own thoughts of such a barbaric treatment. I could not believe you would have even suggested such a treatment."

"You **have had enough experience**, Christine, to know that there are times when we have to do the unusual. I just had to think of my patient not what I thought or felt. I think that Spock helped because he did not consider his feelings and Uhura did it because she considered only her feelings for him." He gently reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, "I hate to admit it but I do agree with him. I cannot afford for my chief nurse to fold on me like you did. Perhaps you should give some thought as to how you would react if I had to do something even more extreme than that for treatment."

Nurse Chapel turned then stopped and looked back at McCoy, "I will get back to updating the records I was doing. I can assure you that I will never let you, him, or myself down as I did then. I have thought many times since about why I reacted as I did and all I could think of was that it was** me thinking about me** and not that patient and not about you. I was thinking of what I was expected to do to another, of it being like torture, not of it being treatment."

"Okay, Christine. I thought later it would have to have been something like that but I wanted you to tell me rather than me going to you. Finish the updates then have two shifts off. When you come back you can help with Lomms. He is now in very limited duties and comes here after three hours on duty to sleep for seven hours. \he will make a full recovery in time if he takes it slowly." The doctor did not miss the way his chief nurse looked at the patient they were discussing, "I doubt if Uhura, Spock, or the Captain will let him overly tax himself. And I know that he won't like being constantly watched so it will be interesting."

Interesting had not been what the next twenty-four days had been as Officer Lomms had tested the nerves of his senior officers by pushing himself almost to the point of collapse. On the twenty-fifth day a relieved Doctor McCoy had summoned his Captain, First Officer and Lieutenant Uhura into Sick Bay and they all stood looking at Officer Looms as he sat on the bed looking at them uncertainly. "Officer Lomms, I am releasing you back onto full duty. I want your permission to use what was done to you in the way of treatment in a paper I am writing. I wanted to have them here to reassure you that I will make no mention of what took place in Plorer apart from mentioning that you were attacked there while on approved leave."

"If they looked at who was also on leave,"

Lomms looked first at Spock and longer at Uhura as McCoy said. "There are no records of Spock or Uhura being in Plorer and Captain Kirk and I were only there on a short fact finding tour."

Spock looked at Lomms as he looked at him again and saw how even in the safety of the ship this man was concerned about the two of them, "There's absolutely no way they will know you two were taken there? of what happened there"

"There is no record anywhere of us being there, nor of the events that took place, and those there had no idea who we were nor where we went. As seen by all that were there, all that saw the performance you put on to rescue us, none would believe you were anything but what you that is on record is that you were on the planet for rest and recreation while we resupplied the ship and that you were in a skirmish with an unknown who had Fallet in a hypo as a weapon."

Kirk looked at his friend and First Officer then at Lomms, "They were not the only ones who believed your act."

Uhura moved over to Lomms and hugged him, "That was the first time we ever spent the night together alone in a bedroom and you never came to bed but let others think you had."

"And from what I saw I would have, I believed you had been beaten." Kirk looked at his Communications Officer and remembered how he had seen her in the bar then looked at Lomms, "I even believed you had not only beaten her but attacked Spock." "Captain, I am no actor, just a search and rescue officer who helps out in engineering. I just did what I had to do to get them out. If you ask Miser Scott he will confirm I am no actor."

"Perhaps, Officer Lomms, but," Spock looked from Kirk to Uhura and then at Lomms, "I believe that be it in how you do your routine work, or how you treat a female officer in a bedroom, or even how you rescue two fellow officers under difficult and different circumstances you certainly know how to act."

####

* * *

A/N One of the ones where my friend wanted something (in this case "as seen by") used in dialogue towards the end. About a third of the stories I wrote had things/themes she asked for. . .


End file.
